Safety belt buckle



Aug. 31, 1965 M. M. MURPHY, SR

SAFETY BELT BUCKLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 3, 1963 INVENTOR Mar/7WM. Mug 06y, 5/. W

ATTORNEY] Q 1965 M. M. MURPHY, SR 3,203,064

SAFETY BELT BUCKLE Filed Sept. 3, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Mar/7 MMar 0kg, 5x

United States Patent 3,203,064 SAFETY BELT BUCKLE Merrill M. Murphy,Sr., Cortland, N.Y., assignor to Irving Air Chute Company, Inc.,Lexington, Ky., a corporationof Kentucky Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No.306,215 1 Claim. (Cl. 24--230) This invention relates to a buckleparticularly adapted for use in connection with safety belts having animproved push button controlled dog which will permit of facileoperation of the buckle.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a relativelysimple type of buckle construction adapted for use in connection withsafety belts which is easy to operate and yet safe, and which eliminatescomplicated dog and lid mechanism conventionally used in safety beltbuckle designs.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, andwherein similar reference characters designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross sectional view taken through the beltbuckle showing a dog latched upon the tongue clip.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of the details shown in FIG. 1, but showingthe dog out of latching control upon the tongue clip.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view showing the rear end of the buckle at thebelt adjusting end.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of :the base casing structure of thebuckle.

FIGURE 5 is an inverted perspective view of the dog assembly of thebuckle.

FIGURE 6 is an inverted perspective view of the closure or coverconstruction of the buckle.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view showing the tongue clip design.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention, the letter A may generallydesignate the improved buckle. It includes a base casing B, cover casingC, dog assemblage D, tongue clip E and belt webbing F attachable to thebuckle base case B and tongue clip E.

The base casing B as shown in FIG. 4 generally comprises a bottom wall10 having relatively spaced upstanding parallel side walls 11 and 12.The rear end of the base B has an opening 14 through the bottom walladapted to permit the webbing F to extend into the base casing and wraparound a knurled pin or member 15. The latter is of Well knownconstruction and is provided with diametrically reduced ends 16 adaptedto slide in inclined slots 17 which are formed through the upstandingwalls 11 and 12 at the rear ends thereof. A stop flange 20 is bentupwardly along the opening 14 rearwardly of the knurled pin 15. Theadjusting end of the webbing F is doubled upon itself and wrapped aroundthe pin 15. It will thus be seen that when the belt is under tension theends 16 of the pin 15 will ride downwardly along the slot and bind thewebbing against the stop flange 20, as shown in FIG. 1. The adjustingpositions are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in which the bar ends 16 ridealong the tops of the inclined slots 17 to permit belt loosening oradjusting. The bottom wall 10 at its forward end is provided with aninclined ramp 21 struck from the material thereof. It inclines from theplane of the bottom wall 10 upwardly and to the rear. The ramp 21 is ofless width than the space between the walls 11 and 12, as will be notedfrom FIG. 4.

3,203,064 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 Referring to the dog assemblage D thesame is shown in detail in the perspective view FIG. 5. It includes alever type plate or top wall 30 having right angled depending sideflanges 31 and 32 which are parallel to each other. These flanges 31 and32 are apertured to receive a hinge pin 33 which is sufliciently long tobe extended into the bearing openings 34 provided in the flanges 11 and12 of the base casing portion. The rear end of the lever wall 30 isangled and laterally reduced as shown at 35. It detachably supports apush button 37 thereon, which normally is adapted to extend upwardlythrough the opening 38 in the top wall 55 of the cover C, to besubsequently described. The flanges 31 and 32 are provided at theirforward ends with depending latching legs 34 adapted to cooperate withopenings in tongue clip E.

In the assemblage of the parts the dog D is held centered by means ofthe movable spacer sleeves 40 which are adapted to be located on the pin33 between the side walls 31 and 32 and the side walls 11 and 12 of thebuckle base.

The spacing of the dog legs 34 is of such distance that they willnormally engage the bottom wall 10. These legs 34 are actually spaced adistance greater than the width of the ramp 21 and they are neverintended to engage the ramp. The relation of spacing is shown in FIGS. 4and 5. A spring structure 47 is provided to normally urge the latchingends of the dog downwardly. The spring 47 includes coils 48 to receivethe pin 33 and a U-shaped bight portion 50 which engages the under sideof the dog flange 35. Coils 48 at their ends opposite the portion 50 areprovided with prong portions 51 which normally engage the wall 10 of thebase as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The spring 47 is biasedto throw the dog mechanism into the position shown in FIG. 1 when thetongue clip is in inserted position. Normally the spring 47 even forcesthe leg ends of the dog downwardly to engage the inner surface of thewall 10 at opposite ends of the ramp 21 when the tongue clip E isremoved. The flanges 31 and 32 at the latching leg ends thereof areinclined at 53 to permit easy camming insertion of the clip E andlifting of the dog.

The cover structure C includes the top wall 55 and its opening 38 andalso a front wall 56 and a rear wall 57. Side walls 58 and 59 are alsoprovided as shown in FIG. 6.

To permit of easy assemblage of the cover C upon the base B the wall 57at its sides is inwardly flanged at 60. These flanges are adapted toengage in sockets 61 provided therefor in the extreme rear ends of thebase walls 11 and 12. At their front ends the walls 11 and 12 areprovided with extensions 64 spaced from the wall 10; the materials ofthese flanges 11 and 12 being inwardly bent to provide guide lugs 65which overhand the wall 10, as shown in FIG. 4. The wall 56, as will benoted, defines an entrance 68 for the tongue clip E, as shown in FIGS. 1and 2. The lugs 65 act as guides to permit only proper insertion of thetongue clip into the buckle. The wall 56 of the cover is bent inwardlyto provide lugs 70 which are normally adapted to lock beneath theextension 64 as shown in FIG. 1. Thus the cover is held at its rear endand forward end upon the base B.

The tongue clip E shown in FIG. 7 constitutes a metal plate having anelongated opening at its outer end to receive the secured end of thewebbing F, as in conventional practice. The reduced forward end 82 ofthe clip is provided with relatively spaced openings 83 therein, thespacing of which conforms to the spacing of the legs 34 of the dog D andthese openings 83 are spaced apart farther for a greater distance thanthe width of the ramp 21.

Assuming the tongue clip E to be detached from the buckle, it is merelynecessary to insert the clip at its tongue end into the opening 68 inthe cover and the same will cam against the edges 53 to lift the dogagainst its 7,

biasing spring until the openings 83 of the tongue clip are insertedsufliciently to permit the legs 34 to drop into said openings, as shownin FIG. 1. The ramp 21 causes the raising of the tongue clip to aninclined position as it is inserted to better secure the tongue clipupon the latching legs of the dog.

When it is desired to detach the tongue clip E all that is necessary todo is to press the button 37. This will lift the dog to the positionshown in FIG. 2 permitting ready withdrawal of the tongue clip.

Various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be madeto the form of invention herein shown and described, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or scope of the claim.

I claim:

In a safety belt buckle the combination of a base, a tongue clip havingmeans thereon to which belt webbing may be connected having spacedopenings, a dog lever pivoted intermediate its ends upon said base andhaving at one side of the pivot axis a latching leg and at the otherside of the pivot axis having push button means by which the lever maybe rocked to move the dog latching leg from latching position, springmeans engaging said base and lever and normally urging the latter intolatching position, a ramp mounted on the base beneath the latching endof the lever having a rearwardly and upwardly inclined ramp surfaceadapted to direct the tongue clip upwardly as it is inserted into thebase to move it into latching engagement with the latching leg, thewidth of the ramp being less than the Width of the base, the latchinglever having a plurality of spaced latching legs complementary to saidopenings located between the outer sides of said ramp, said latchinglegs being spaced a greater distance in width than the width of saidramp, so the legs can clear the sides of the ramp and extend through andinto the openings of said clip when inserted.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,209,369 12/ 16Wood.

2,228,060 1/ 41 Lescher.

2,888,724 6/59 Anderson.

2,920,367 1/ Fazenbaker.

3,029,487 4/62 Asai.

3,078,538 2/63 Brown.

3,084,411 4/63 Lindblad.

FOREIGN PATENTS 18 8,031 10/22 Great Britain.

98,138 3/23 Switzerland.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

DONLEY J. STOCKING, Examiner.

